Chesapeake Church, which was affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) at the time, appointed Robert Hahn, who was much younger at the time, to the position of Elder in the year 1993. In 1983, the church was established, and its first gathering took place in the cafeteria of a middle school. On Sundays, there were approximately forty individuals present at each gathering. John Bash, the church’s founding pastor, was instrumental in the church’s tremendous expansion. By the time he left his position, it had grown to become one of the most significant churches in Calvert County.
The service that Pastor Bash was leading at Chesapeake Church came to an unexpected halt. There was a week that he was away on vacation. Following his return, he was terminated from his employment.
At least in the capacity of interim pastor, Robert Hahn took over for Pastor Bash after he resigned.
In his current role with Standing Stone Ministry, Dr. John Bash serves as a Shepherd. In addition to that, he is the producer of a podcast called Church Hurts And.)
Robert Hahn’s ascension to power, which was not exactly a happy one, laid the groundwork for a reign that is now getting close to thirty years.
In a short amount of time, Hahn was elevated from the post of interim pastor to that of Senior Pastor, a permanent position, provided that he obtained a degree from a seminary. After informing the Elders that he was already enrolled at Chesapeake Seminary, he gave his consent to finish his theological education.
Over the course of the subsequent few years, there were conversations that took place between the Elders and members of the church regarding Hahn’s inability to complete his seminary studies. While asserting that he was still attending classes, he appealed for patience from the audience.
One of the representatives from the PCA paid a visit to the church in the year 2001. The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) warned Robert Hahn that he would not be able to continue serving as a pastor in the PCA unless he finished his seminary coursework and earned a degree.
At the subsequent gathering of the church, on the other hand, he presented a different account to the members. He stated that the Presbyterian Church in America had an issue with the contemporary music that was being played in the church. According to Robert, he and the Elders had come to the conclusion that it would be wise to withdraw from the PCA.
After a vote, the decision was accepted. In the past, the church had severed its ties with the PCA. Chesapeake Church was now an independent evangelical church, and Hahn no longer had to worry about the PCA insisting that he get a degree. Always ready to insist on his own “authority” as pastor of Chesapeake Church, Hahn was averse to any exercise of authority over himself.
The disaffiliation from the PCA left the church’s leadership and its Senior Pastor without the oversight and accountability that had come with the connection. Independence from the PCA gave Robert Hahn a great deal more control over the affairs of the church – control not only over its spiritual mission, but also over the management of its business affairs.
As was described in a previous post, the leadership of the church made arrangements in March 2005 for the membership to adopt a new Book of Church Order. This new Book of Church Order, which disregarded the laws of the state of Maryland, did away with the Board of Trustees and consolidated its functions and powers in a Board of Elders, which Robert Hahn has maintained control over.
At the beginning of 2004, the church was in the process of formulating plans to construct a new church building and campus.
Attendance was increasing rapidly and the church building was bursting at the seams. The church had purchased a large tract of land at Wayson’s Corner, about ten miles north of the present-day campus, where contractors and volunteers had already installed soccer fields and made other improvements. The plan was, at some point, to build a new church on the property.
In late winter/early spring 2004, all the ministry leaders and staff attended a seminar in southern Pennsylvania. While they were there, Robert Hahn called a meeting. The leaders were shocked when Robert and the church’s former executive pastor, Ann Edwards, presented them with their big plan: they had unilaterally decided to build a “sprung building” on the Wayson’s Corner property. (A sprung building is a prefabricated, modular building designed for fast installation and flexible design.)
“This is what you’re going to do,” they said. “You’re going to go back to the church and SELL IT.”
“We all listened with our mouths hung wide open. We couldn’t believe what we were hearing,” said Peter Gordon, one of the attendees at the conference.
After Edwards and Hahn left, the room exploded. Nobody was on board.
Peter Gordon (not his real name) and his wife Ellen (not her real name) had been active members for years. They were volunteers at the food pantry, they had helped to keep up church grounds, and they were very involved in other aspects of church life.
When they arrived back in Maryland, Peter Gordon was asked to write an article about the project for the church newsletter. Peter, like everyone else, was opposed to the idea. He didn’t write the article.
A week later, the newsletter editor approached him, wondering where the article was.
“What do you want me to write?” Peter asked. “No one approves of this.” The article never got written. The entire plan blew up in Hahn’s face. The “sprung” building was not to be sprung.
Meanwhile, tensions among church congregants and ministry leaders were rising. People began looking into Hahn’s supposed pursuit of his seminary degree.
Things came to a head at a 2004 congregational meeting. Members were unhappy about the sprung structure and about what they saw as erratic behavior by their Senior Pastor. They were also frustrated by his failure to obtain a seminary degree. During the meeting, it came out that Chesapeake Seminary had been contacted.
Hahn had not been attending classes.
“Robert said he didn’t need seminary,” says Peter. “He said that a professor had told him, ‘you should be teaching the class, not taking it!’”
One member accused Robert Hahn of lying.
“Robert threw a typical temper tantrum,” says Peter. “He went ballistic. Screaming, yelling …”
Many got up and left the room.
“We never saw them again,” said Peter. “These were people we were close to, who we had served with, who were in our small group.”
Robert regularly went out evenings to “classes”. But if he wasn’t actually attending classes at the seminary, how exactly was he spending his evenings?
There was always talk of infidelity,” says Peter. “Not just one affair. Multiple affairs. I know about one personally, because the woman involved was a close friend of mine.”
In 2004, the men’s ministry team thought it would be good for Robert Hahn to attend a Promise Keepers event in Arizona. They bought him admission to the conference and a plane ticket.
As many readers will know, Promise Keepers is an organization dedicated to helping men become better church leaders, better fathers, and better husbands.
Robert Hahn never arrived at the conference.
At the airport, he exchanged his ticket for a ticket to Miami. He gave the excuse that his flight to Arizona had been canceled. The church’s Elders later learned that, instead of going to Arizona to learn how to be a better husband, Robert Hahn had spent the weekend in Florida.
Another former staff member confirmed: “There was an affair in 2004/2005. Robert was confronted and sent to counseling. When anyone asked any one of the Elders about it, they were told that the Elders had ‘taken care of it.’”
Multiple sources confirm that the circumstances just outlined involved different women.
After a brief reprieve during which he received counseling, Robert Hahn was allowed to continue as Senior Pastor. Members of the congregation were told nothing about their Senior Pastor’s extramarital affairs. As the Elders saw it, preserving the image of godliness and moral rectitude that Robert Hahn projected from the pulpit Sunday after Sunday was more important than pulling back the curtain to reveal the lies, the notorious temper, and the philandering.
Exposing the truth about the Senior Pastor might have protected other vulnerable members of the congregation, especially women, who believed in the Sunday morning facade. But it would have jeopardized the church’s ministries and, of course, congregational giving. The Elders chose to be enablers.
Michael Lea and Paul Miller were two of the Elders who served during this period and were aware of the nature of Hahn’s relationships with these women. His philandering appears to have been an open secret within a close circle of church leaders. But over the years, Lea and Miller have privately acknowledged to other individuals (who have in turn been sources for this post) that these affairs took place.
Lawsuit Dropped Against Chesapeake Church in Calvert Court
The civil action complaint that was filed by the former pastor of Chesapeake Church in Huntingtown has been dismissed. According to the common law of Maryland, Robert Hahn filed a lawsuit for breach of contract in the month of October. Specifically, the matter at hand was his initial retirement contract, which was signed in November of 2002, as well as an amended deal that was signed in May of 2023.
In November of 2022, when Hahn decided to retire, the church made a commitment to provide him with a retirement pension as well as checks every two months for a period of two years. As long as Hahn continued to assist the church in transitioning leadership, the payments would continue accordingly. During the month of May in the year 2023, the Elders sent an email to Hahn in which they informed him that they were reducing the duration of the contract to a year due to behaviours that were deemed inappropriate.
This email contained the following information: The Elders have discussed your present pension arrangement in light of the fact that you recently admitted to engaging in inappropriate behaviour with (REDACTED). We also took note of the fact that you were supposed to assist in the transition of leadership for the first year, but you have failed to do so throughout this period.
Despite the fact that we recognize your more than three decades of service to our community in the roles of Senior Pastor and Elder, the way in which you conduct yourself is diametrically antithetical to the fundamental biblical ideals that we encourage. Therefore, as leaders of the Church, we are obligated to take the following action in accordance with the circumstances:
-Remove you from the status of Pastor Emeritus, which implies that you will no longer be qualified to receive reimbursement for housing expenses.
Make the reduction from 24 months to 12 months for your pension.
Despite the fact that Hahn asserted that the allegations were “without foundation,” he consented to a new agreement that stipulated that the church would continue to make payments until March of 2024. With that, the Elders added the following morality clause:
If Robert Hahn commits any act, which is an offence involving moral turpitude under federal, state, or local laws, or which might tend to bring Chesapeake Church, End Hunger in Calvert County, or Honduras Compassion Partners to public disrepute, contempt, scandal, or ridicule, or which may embarrass, offend, insult, or denigrate individuals or groups, or that may shock, insult, or offend the community or public morals or decency or prejudice Chesapeake Church, End Hunger in Calvert County, or Honduras Compassion Partners, then Chesapeake Church shall have the right to unilaterally terminate the pension agreement without liability for the unpaid portion of any compensation due upon written notice to Robert Hahn.
Even though Hahn agreed, he insisted that they include the following statement: “Both parties agree that they will not disclose the specifics of this agreement to the general public.” Those in authority obliged.
The last paragraph of the final form reads as follows: In addition, Chesapeake Church agrees to refrain from making any derogatory statements regarding Robert Hahn, either in public or in private, and both parties stipulate that they will not divulge the specifics of this agreement to the general public.
Therefore, Hahn continued to receive payments of $2,107.61 every two months, and it was anticipated that he would continue to receive these payments until March 1, 2024. On the other hand, on May 26, 2023, the Elders issued another email to Hahn in which they stated that the church was experiencing financial difficulties and that they intended to postpone potential pension payments in the future.
On the first of June, Steve Bertolaccini, speaking on behalf of the Elders, stated, “We have relooked [sic] at our plan, but there is no good alternative at this time.” We just do not possess the necessary resources. Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused, and rest assured that we will reestablish your pension payments as quickly as possible.
Up to the month of August in 2023, Hahn had not yet received any future payments. He inquired when the payments would resume and received the following reply:
“No. I am sorry to say that I am still unable to explain it to you; I had hoped that I would have an answer for you by now, but I do not.
According to the complaint that was submitted on October 5th, the thirteenth of June was the last time that Hahn received a check from the church, which is why he decided to initiate the lawsuit.
On the other hand, on December 6th, both parties reached a consensus to dismiss the matter, which indicates that they either reached a settlement or the lawsuit was withdrawn.
An online community known as “Survivors of Chesapeake Church” has more than a thousand people following its Facebook blog. Updates on Hahn, the Elders, and the church as a whole have been posted on this website on another occasion. Many people have shared their stories of how the church leadership has done them wrong in the past, others defend the church and those leading it. Since the case has been dropped, there has been no news on whether or not the blog will continue.
Survivors of Chesapeake Church – Robert Hahn vs. Chesapeake Church
Robert Hahn initiated a legal case against Chesapeake Church earlier this month, alleging that the latter had breached the contract in accordance with Maryland common law. In the complaint, both the initial retirement contract, which was signed in November of 2022, and the modified contract, which was signed in May of this year, are discussed.
In addition to one morality clause, there are two (!) retirement pension contracts.
In the event that Hahn “retired” in November of 2022, the church made a commitment to provide him with a retirement pension consisting of checks every two months for a period of twenty-four months. The availability of payments was contingent on Hahn’s assistance to the church throughout the transition of leadership. Because of Hahn’s irresponsible behaviour, the church informed him in May of 2023 that they were unilaterally reducing the period of the Contract from 24 months to 12 months without giving any prior notice.
Robert received an email from the Elders on May 8 that contains the following information, which makes mention to the inappropriate behaviour:
In view of the fact that you recently admitted to engaging in inappropriate behaviour with (REDACTED), the Elders conducted a discussion regarding your present pension arrangement. We also took note of the fact that you were supposed to assist in the transition of leadership for the first year, but you have failed to do so throughout this period. Despite the fact that we recognise your more than three decades of service to our community in the roles of Senior Pastor and Elder, the way in which you conduct yourself is diametrically antithetical to the fundamental biblical ideals that we encourage. Therefore, as leaders of the Church, we are obligated to take the following action in accordance with the circumstances:
-Remove you from the status of Pastor Emeritus, which implies that you will no longer be qualified to receive reimbursement for housing expenses.
Make the reduction from 24 months to 12 months for your pension.
You can send us an email if you have any questions, or you can go ahead and make a meeting request with the Session.
In spite of Robert’s assertion that the allegations were “without foundation,” he conceded to the terms of the new agreement. However, the church would only continue to make payments until the first of March in 2024 is reached. An further morals provision was included by the Elders. It was the following phrase that they offered to Hahn:
Chesapeake Church shall have the right to unilaterally terminate the pension agreement without liability for the unpaid portion of any compensation due upon written notice to Robert Hahn in the event that Robert Hahn commits any act that is considered to be an offence involving moral turpitude under federal, state, or local laws, or that may tend to bring Chesapeake Church, End Hunger in Calvert County, or Honduras Compassion Partners to public disrepute, contempt, scandal, or ridicule, or that may embarrass, insult, insult, or denigrate individuals or groups, or that may shock, insult, or offend the community or public morals or decency or prejudice Chesapeake Church, End Hunger in Calvert County, or Honduras Compassion Partners. Chesapeake Church shall have the right to unilaterally terminate the pension agreement without liability for the unpaid portion of any compensation due.
Even though Hahn agreed, he insisted that they include the following statement: “Both parties agree that they will not disclose the specifics of this agreement to the general public.” Those in authority obliged.
The final paragraph of the final version reads as follows:
In addition, Chesapeake Church has agreed to refrain from making any derogatory comments regarding Robert Hahn, either in public or in private, and both parties have further agreed that the specifics of this agreement would not be disclosed to the general public.
In line 25, which is my favourite part of the complaint, it says everything:
In a manner that was characteristic of Hahn, he concluded the disagreement by writing merely “thank you” and wishing the other party peace.
It was expected that Hahn would continue to get payments in the amount of $2,107.61 every two months until March 1, 2024. Instead, he continued to receive these payments after that date.
Chesapeake Church’s Struggles in the Financial Sector
In an email that was sent to Hahn on May 26, 2023, Steve Bertolaccini, writing on behalf of the Elders, stated that the Elders were going to postpone future pension payments because of a large shortfall in the Chesapeake Church Budget.
It was written by Bertolaccini on June 1st:
At this point in time, there is no viable alternative to our proposal, despite the fact that we have reconsidered it. We just do not possess the necessary resources. Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused, and rest assured that we will reestablish your pension payments as quickly as possible.
Up to the month of August in 2023, Hahn had not yet received any future payments. When he questioned about the timing of the payments picking up again, he received the following response:
It is not. It is with great regret that I must inform you that I am still unable to do so. I had hoped to have an answer for you by now, but I do not.
The complaint states that the most recent time Hahn received a check from the church was on June 13 for the most recent time.
On the 5th of October, the complaint was submitted.
The trial jury has been requested by Hahn.
The eleven exhibits that were presented before the court include the emails that were described earlier that were exchanged between Robert Hahn and the Elders. If the case is still ongoing, it is highly possible that additional exhibitions will be submitted. These exhibitions will most likely include copies of the original and amended contracts, in addition to other material that is relevant.
Remember that “the wheels of justice turn slowly”—that is, as if they are moving through molasses—that is the kind of slowness that they are.
I, as a person who is NOT a lawyer, would like to share some personal thoughts:
If all of the facts presented here is correct, then it appears that Hahn’s case is strong.
Because I don’t believe either of them can afford to continue the litigation, I’m guessing that both parties will reach a settlement.
It will be detrimental to the church, which is already experiencing a great deal of misery. It is highly improbable that the sum of money that is granted to Hahn (either as a result of a dispute settlement or as a result of a jury award) will be substantial.
Regardless of the circumstances, it will originate from the tithes of individuals who took the belief that they were sending gifts to God.
It’s a shame that this is the case.
Survivors of Chesapeake Church and Robert Hahn – “Their Stories; Lawsuit Now Pending
The website SurvivorsofChesapeakeChurch.com, which is comprised of a collection of blog postings, was launched in the month of February. Speaking out against the leadership of the Chesapeake Church in Huntingtown appears to be the primary focus of the blog articles now being published.
The following is an explanation that can be found on the homepage of the website: “These are the stories of the people who are willing to speak out against the leadership at Chesapeake Church in Huntingtown, Maryland.” The attention that they deserve is yours.
The website currently has seven blog posts available for reading. It appears that the posts are making a statement against Robert Hahn, who serves as the senior pastor of Chesapeake Church. There are those who recount the story of Allison Morrison, whose husband, Jason, subjected her to both physical and verbal abuse. The majority of the identities have been changed to protect her privacy. Having recently started working for the church, Allison and her friend Sara made the decision to seek advice from pastor Robert Hahn. This was due to the fact that they had just started working there.
According to the posts, Hahn persuaded the two individuals to meet with him rather than seeking assistance from the authorities. Robert Hahn conducted the meeting in the manner of an inquisition, with Allison serving as the target, as stated in the blog post that provides a detailed description of the discussion. He voiced his skepticism regarding Allison’s account and inquired as to whether or not she was certain that she was being assaulted. Allison was not supported by any of the other elders in the group. Nobody showed any sign of sympathy for her, nor did they give any indication that they believed her.
In the article, it is stated that Hahn not only pressured Allison to stay with her violent husband but also advised Sara that she should lie about what she had observed of the abuse if she were to be asked to testify in court over the matter.
In addition to providing a more in-depth account of Allison and Sarah’s narrative, which focuses on Hahn’s disregard for the abuse, the blog posts also include examples of times in which Hahn allegedly abused his position and behaved in an inappropriate manner.
A narrative is presented in the fourth piece, which is titled “The Prodigals,” and it is purported to be narrated from the point of view of a pastor named Daniel Palmer. Caroline Palmer is the daughter of Robert Hahn, and husband Daniel Palmer is married to her. In addition, the tale told by Daniel details times in which Hahn behaved in an unacceptable manner.
“While on a mission trip to Honduras, Daniel witnessed Robert Hahn acting belligerently towards the other executive pastor, who was a woman, as well as a female staff member. Hahn was under the influence of alcohol. As the months passed, he witnessed a number of families leave the church because the husbands they were married to did not approve of the way Robert looked at his wife. A witness to Robert’s bullying, use of, and abuse of local politicians and church suppliers in order to achieve what he wanted, he witnessed.
“While on a mission trip to Honduras, Daniel witnessed Robert Hahn acting belligerently towards the other executive pastor, who was a woman, as well as a female staff member. Hahn was under the influence of alcohol. As the months passed, he witnessed a number of families leave the church because the husbands they were married to did not approve of the way Robert looked at his wife. A witness to Robert’s bullying, use of, and abuse of local politicians and church suppliers in order to achieve what he wanted, he witnessed.
Someone is said to have questioned, “What is the ultimate goal of sharing these stories?” in the area of the website that is dedicated to questions and answers. The response that was given was, “In order to reveal the truth.” A comprehensive enquiry should be conducted by an outside team, and the leadership of Chesapeake Church ought to submit to it. They should be willing to accept ideas concerning changes to the organisation, and they should make a commitment to presenting the congregation with a model of leadership that is foundational on accountability and transparency. In the meanwhile, we feel that Robert Hahn ought to resign from his position, with pay, while the investigation is still ongoing.
In the year 2022, on March 25th, an update was made available on the website. “In response to this forum, Pastor Hahn and Chesapeake Church have filed a lawsuit in Calvert County, Maryland,” the statement read. While I completely support the work that this website is doing, I must take a momentary break in order to concentrate on defending myself against the efforts that Pastor Hahn and Chesapeake Church are currently doing to quiet this forum. I am a sole individual who is currently involved in a legal dispute against them.
I would want to express my gratitude once more for all of your future and past interests, for your prayers, and for entrusting me with your stories. The goal that I am aiming towards is to respond to each and every person who has reached out to me.
Update: Legal Proceedings Involving Chesapeake Church and Robert Hahn
Each of the three defendants has submitted anti-SLAPP filings in an effort to have the lawsuit dismissed.
What exactly is a SLAPP? “Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Information” is what the acronym “SLAPP” stands for.
When it comes to intimidating and silencing critics through costly and groundless legal actions, strategic lawsuits against public participation, often known as SLAPPs, have become an all-too-common technique. This statement is courtesy of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
Unfortunately, Maryland has one of the anti-SLAPP statutes that is among the weaker ones. My legal representative has filed a motion to dismiss the case or a motion to hold a hearing for summary judgment.
One definition of a summary judgement is “a judgement entered by a court for one party and against another party without a full trial based on a determination that there are no issues of fact about essential aspects of the dispute and a judge can reach a determination as a matter of law about legal issues.”
In other words, a summary judgement is a judgement that is entered without a full trial. As was to be expected, the attorneys representing the plaintiffs have submitted oppositions to each of the three applications to dismiss the case.
Over the course of the weekend, Hahn’s legal representatives handed in his updated motions. This implies that our legal representatives will need to rework their responses, which will, of course, result in additional financial expenditures for this action.
Nevertheless, in the event that the judge decides not to grant (or only partially grant) our requests, I am more than prepared to defend each and every statement of fact that I made.
There is no indication that the other defendants intend to surrender either, as far as I can tell.
To this point, the only hearing that has been scheduled is for Mary’s request to dismiss. The hearing is at nine o’clock in the morning on August 26th, 2022.
After that, I would anticipate that the additional hearings that will follow will be scheduled for the beginning of the fall. We will keep you updated when new information becomes available. All of the records that have been submitted are available to the public, and I strongly suggest that you get them from the clerk’s office so that you can read them for yourself.
Ignoring the A civil Action Lawsuit Case Comes at a Cost. Here’s Why?
National Caseload Overview
- In 2023, around 68.5 million cases were filed across state and federal courts, up from ~61.5 million in 2020 and ~64.3 million in 2021.
- Approximately 100 million lawsuits are filed in state trial courts each year, with over 400,000 filed in federal courts annually.
Federal Civil Court Trends
- 2023 saw 284,220 civil filings in U.S. district courts, a decline of 8% from ~309,102 in 2022.
- District court combined filings (civil + criminal) dropped 7% to 353,170 in 2023, while terminations rose, reducing pending caseloads by 8% to 702,433.
- Civil appeals in U.S. courts of appeals fell 6% to 21,837, and overall appeals filings dropped ~5% in 2023.
Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Influence
- In 2021, 39% of all civil filings in district courts (461,478 total) were MDL cases—many related to product liability, such as the 3M Combat Arms earplugs MDL.
- Without MDLs, civil filings would have decreased about 4% in 2021 .
- By end of 2018, over half of all pending federal civil cases were centralized into MDLs; product liability constituted roughly 91% of MDL cases.
Trial Activity vs. Settlements
- Fewer than 2% of federal civil cases actually go to trial today—about 0.7% jury trials, even less bench trials.
- Around 50% of civil cases settle before conclusions, with tort-specific cases settling ~90% of the time.
Class Action & Settlement Highlights
- Securities class actions rose slightly in 2023: 215 filings (vs. 208 in 2022); yet filings under federal §11 and state 1933 Act dropped 62% to just 19.
- Data‑breach class action suits more than doubled—from 604 in 2022 to 1,320 in 2023.
- In 2024, the top 10 class action and enforcement settlements hit $42 billion, marking the third consecutive year above $40 billion—and total payouts were $51.4 billion in 2023 and $66 billion in 2022.
Key Takeaways
- Huge volume of filings—tens of millions of civil actions annually.
- Federal filings declining, partly due to fewer MDLs and COVID-related effects.
- MDLs dominate federal civil caseloads, particularly in product liability.
- Trials are rare; most cases resolve via settlements.
- Class-action filings and payouts remain massive, especially in securities and data-breach areas.
These figures illustrate that while the U.S. legal system processes a staggering volume of civil cases each year, the majority settle out of court, with a significant shift toward large-scale class actions and multidistrict litigation.
